Trousers support



May 13, 1958 L. HEYMAN 2,834,022

TROUSERS SUPPORT Filed April 5, 1956 INVENTOR. /s Ha man 'BYO-ILLMXAW A TTOlZ/UEV5 United States Patent TROUSERS SUPPORT Louis Heyman, Plainfield, N. J. Application April 5, 1956, Serial No. 576,354

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-323) This invention relates to a trousers support. The trousers support is preferably incorporated in a pair of suspenders, and the suspenders are preferably worn beneath the shirt so that the trousers support may also serve as a hold-down for the shirt.

The trousers support of the invention includes a cross bar attached inwardly of the waist band of the trousers, such cross bar being engaged by an upwardly and outwardly directed hook secured to a depending flexible member, such as the lower end of a suspenders strap. The suspenders may be worn beneath the shirt, thereby concealing the suspenders from view. In such case, the hook engages the cross bar through an interposed fold of the shirt, so that the shirt is securely held down, without injury or defacement thereof.

The invention has among its objects the provision of an improved trousers support characterized by its simplicity, the ease of application of its parts to conventional suspenders and trousers, and its economy of manufacture.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hook providing part of the trousers support which is quickly, easily, and securely attached to or detached from conventional suspenders.

Another object of the invention is to make such hook providing portion from one piece of wire.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a trousers support of the type indicated which can be worn within the shirt, thereby concealing the parts of the support, and which may also serve as a hold-down for the shirt.

The above and further objects of the invention will be more readily apparent upon consideration of the accompanying drawing which illustrates preferred embodiments of the trousers support of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the lower end of a strap of a pair of suspenders having a hook providing portion of the trousers support of the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the part of the trousers support shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the hook providing portion of the trousers support.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical section through a waist band of a pair of trousers and through a shirt, the view showing the manner of cooperation between the trousers, shirt, and the parts of the trousers support, the trousers waist band, shirt panel and suspenders being shown separated somewhat laterally for clarity of illustration.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the hook providing portion of the trousers support of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the portion of the trousers support shown in Fig. 5 attached to the lower end of a suspenders strap.

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of a difieren'tly constructed trousers support.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the support shown in Fig. 7.

As above indicated, the trousers support of the present invention may be applied to conventional suspenders and to conventional trousers. In the embodiment of Figs. 1,- 2, and 4, the hook providing portion 14, which is made of one piece of bent wire, is applied to the two lower ends 10. of a conventional loop 11 at the lower end of a suspender strap having an elastic strap 27 to which loop 11 is attached by clasp 26. Preferably each pair of ends 10 of the loops 11 is provided with a hook providing means 14, which serves to retain the ends 10 together by passing through slots 12 in such ends. Thus, a conventional pair of suspenders, when provided with means 14, will have two means 14 in front, one at the lower end of each front suspender strap, at each side of the wearer, and one centrally at the back of the wearer.

The construction of means 14, and its manner of co operation with the ends 10 of loop 11, will be apparent upon consideration of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Portion 14 is symmetrical about a central vertical plane. Portion 14 has a forwardly and upwardly directed closed hook 15 which is connected at the lower side ends with generally vertical spaced parallel portions 16. From portions 16 the wire portions are bent laterally outwardly and then upwardly in generally parallel spaced runs 17. At the upper ends of runs 17, the wire portions are bent in wardly toward each other and then extend to the rear in closely spaced, generally horizontal parallel portions 19,. At the rear of hook providing portion 14 there are provided vertical runs or portions 20 of the wire which are generally parallel to and substantially of the same length as the respective forward runs 17 thereof, the wire portions being bent outwardly from portions 19 to lead into portions 20.

From the lower ends of runs 20 the opposite wire portions are bent inwardly toward each other and then extend forwardly in laterally closely spaced horizontal runs 18 to the tight vertical bend or loop 21 which lies somewhat forwardly ofthe junctions of forward runs 16 and 17 of the wire. The wire portions then extend rearwardly in horizontal runs 23 lying beneath the respective runs 18, and then are bent to extend vertically in the laterally spaced terminal portions 22.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, runs 18 and 19 are spaced vertically a distance such that they engage the upper and lower ends of the slots 12 and12 in portions 10 and 10' without an undue amount of vertical play. Preferably, runs 18 and 19 lie apart a distance slightly smaller than the length of the slots. The respective runs 19, 19; 18, 18; and 23, 23 are laterally spaced substantailly the same distance, and fit within the ends of the slots without undue side play. Runs 17, 17, engaging the forward face of end 11), and runs 20, 20, engaging the rear face of end Ill, lie markedly outwardly of slots 12 and 12, so as to give stable bracing of portion 14-. Runs 17 and 20 are preferably spaced from each other a distance which closely approximates the combined thicknesses of ends 10 and 10, as shown in Fig. 4, in order stably to hold portion 14 against marked tipping out of its plane under load.

As is clear in Fig. 3, each of wire portions 17, 18, 19 and 20 on one side of a vertical central plane normal to the lateral extent of the attachment 14, that is, a plane parallel to the plane of the paper in Fig. 3, forms an at least substantially closed loop. Such loop includes the upper parallel closely spaced portions 19 and the lower parallel closely spaced portions 18, which extend through slot 12 and lie close to the upper and lower ends, respectively, of such slot. Portions 18 and 19 form a central portion of the body of attachment 14, and, with portion 23, which may also be considered as a part of the central portion of the body, extend through the slot and position the body with respect thereto.

The manner of cooperation between the thus described portion 14 and parts of the suspenders to which it is attached, and a pair of trousers and a shirt will be apparent in Fig. 4. A pair of fragmentarily illustrated trousers24 having a waist band 29 has a cross member providing element 30 attached thereto. One of elements 30, each of which may be either permanently sewed to the trousers or detachably secured thereto in position below the respective suspender straps, is here shown as of rectangular loop construction and having aportion 31 lying between the layers of the waistband, a pair of spaced side members 33 (one shown) and a horizontal cross memher or bar 32 exposed on the inner side of the waistband. The suspenders are here shown worn beneath the shirt, a panel 25 of the shirt being shown as lying between the suspender strap and the trousers waistband. When the suspenders are worn concealed beneath the shirt, a fold 34 of the shirtpanel is engaged between cross bar 32 and book 15 of portion 14. When the shirt is correctly adjusted before such engagement, it is securely held in vertical position close to the waistband of the trousers even though the wearer may indulge in vigorous motion. The trousers support is quickly and easily engaged or disengaged with little, if any, more effort than is required to secure a button.

In Figs. 5 and 6 there is shown an alternative construction 35 of the hook providing portion. Member 35 has a solid body 36, made of suitable material such as metal or plastic. The body 36 in front elevation is shown as vertically elongated, specifically generally rectangular and as being symmetrical about central vertical planes normal to the planes of Figs. 5 and 6. Body 36 has deep vertical grooves 37,37 on its opposite side edges, the grooves being of such width as snugly to receive the superposed ends 10 audit! of the ends of a pair of suspenders between them. Formed as upper and lower extensions of the central ungrooved part of body 36 are projections 39 and 40, such projections 39 and 40 and the ungrooved part of the body having such configuration as generally to fill and slightly distend the slots in ends 10 and 10'.

A hook 41, made of a bent piece of wire, is attached to the lower end of body 36 by having the'ends of the wire driven into holes 42 in-the body, the wire preferably being further secured to the body, as by welding or hard soldering.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a construction which is devoid of all wires and which consists of a single body which may be made of metal or of any other suitable material. The member 50 has a front portion 51, a rear portion 52 and a narrow intermediate portion 53 joining the portions 51 and 52. Due tothis arrangement, a circumferential groove 54 is formed around the body 50 for receiving the Suspender ends. The front portion 51 has a hook 55 which is integral therewith. If the body 50 is made of metal, the rear portion 52 may be provided with a lining 56 of felt or other non-heat conducting material suitable for direct contact with the skin of the wearer. This device is used in the same manner as those previously described.

Other changes may be made in the illustrated constructions within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

The combination of a suspender-depending member having a slotted lower end, with a trousers support comprising a single body of oval outline and having a front portion, a rear portion and a narrow intermediate portion joining said front and rear portions and forming a circumferential groove, said intermediate portion being removably mounted into said slotted end, said front portion having a front surface; and a hook firmly connected with said front portion and extending from an edge of said front portion over a part of said'front surface and parallel to said front surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

317,239 Stellwagen May 5, 1885 504,661 Bloomberg j Sept. 5, 1893 935,098 Ferris Sept. 28, 1909 1,616,763 Siebert Feb. 8, 1927 2,654,927 Tansman Oct. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 112,912 Great Britain Ian. 31, 1918 

